be my shrimp
by silver-kin
Summary: "About lobsters mating for life." He nods towards the screen. "Is that true?"


Notes: Part 2 of the "honeymoon photos" series.

Disclaimer: Diamond no Ace belongs to Terajima Yuuji.

**be my shrimp**

They're in bed, surrounded by fluffy pillows and the solid weight of the comforter. The lights in the room have been dimmed, and the television casts flickering lights over the walls, spilling onto the sheets. Tanba is mindlessly surfing through the many channels available, more interested in hearing the different foreign words than what's actually playing, when he comes across one of Chris' favourite tv series. He pauses, wondering if he should say something, but then Chris shoots uprights from his half-doze and scrambles dazedly for the remote. Tanba relinquishes it without a fight, making himself comfortable as Chris crawls over and lays his head on Tanba's shoulder with a sigh.

Chris watches the show with a small smile playing on his lips. Tanba alternates between trying to pay attention, and getting distracted by Chris' quiet laugh, or the comfort of having Chris fit neatly against his side, or the ticklish brush of Chris' hair against his neck. The flashes of colour on Chris' skin is mesmerising, dancing with shadows across his profile; Tanba traces Chris' outline with his eyes, and thinks lazy, content thoughts in the dark.

Then Chris chuckles at something on screen, eyes crinkling at the corners. "Is that even true?"

It takes him a moment to realise he's being asked a question, and in that pause Chris swerves to fix him with an expectant look. "Uh," Tanba stammers. "Sorry. Is what true?"

The expression melts into something sweeter, knowing, and Chris' lips twist into a grin even as he says, "About lobsters mating for life." He nods towards the screen. "Is that true?"

Tanba blinks at him. "I have no idea," he confesses.

They turn to Google. After about fifteen minutes of reading an impressively detailed article, they sink back against the pillows in stunned silence.

Finally, Tanba exhales loudly. "That was mildly disturbing."

Chris mutters something under his breath.

"What?"

"I said," Chris sighs, "that it didn't go in the direction I was hoping it would."

"Oh?" Tanba sits up a little, and turns to look at Chris. "What were you hoping for?"

Chris lifts his hand in a vague, aborted gesture, and doesn't elaborate.

Years of cohabitation, however, has the gears turning in Tanba's head, and he thinks he has some idea of what Chris had in mind. "Tell me."

Chris muffles his groan in Tanba's neck.

He retaliates by pushing gently at Chris' shoulder. "Come on," he pleads. "I want to hear it."

"I have a feeling you're going to laugh," Chris mumbles.

"Did that ever stop you before?"

"No, I guess not," Chris admits, and doesn't move.

"Yuu," he whines, adopting the best pleading tone he knows. "Please?"

Chris sighs, pushes himself up on his elbows, and looks Tanba straight in the eye. "Kouichirou," he says, tone gone serious, despite the the faint blush Tanba can just barely make out on his cheeks. "Will you be my lobster?"

Tanba presses his lips together. When that doesn't seem to work, he bites the inside of his cheek. And when that doesn't work, he covers his face with his hands in a final attempt at muffling his laughter, and fails entirely.

"That's mean," Chris tells him.

"I'm sorry," he wheezes, fighting to get his breathing back under control. "God, I'm so sorry. It's just-" but the rest of his sentence dissolves into bubbles of helpless laughter and he gives up.

By the time he recovers enough to breathe again, he peels back his eyelids to see Chris with his head propped up on one hand, watching him with a faint smile that immediately swerves into a pout. "Had a good laugh?"

"Yeah," he says, not even trying for apologetic. "Thank you."

Chris huffs, and turns away, settling on his back.

Tanba rolls across the meager space between them, until he's leaning over Chris, hands braced on either side of him to keep himself up. "Hey."

Chris pointedly ignores him.

He leans down, presses a kiss to the corner of Chris' mouth. When Chris doesn't respond, he tilts his head, kisses him full on the mouth, long and deep, until the frown gives way to a smile. Chris sighs against him, tilts his head back ever so slightly in response.

When they pull apart, Tanba grins down at him and says, "You know I love you, cheesy lines and all."

"Thank goodness for that," he murmurs.

"Besides, that lobster thing wasn't even your worst line."

Chris' smile wavers embarrassed.

"The _worst_ line you've ever used on me was that time we were at the movies, when I offered to buy the popcorn, and you said-"

Chris fists a hand in his shirt, and flips him over. When his clever fingers find Tanba's ribs, brushing light and ticklish, Tanba yelps, jolting away from the touch. Chris follows him easily, pins his hips down and tangling their legs as he teases the best spots, making Tanba squeal with laughter. And when his protests choke on desperate gulps of air, lungs wheezing, Chris relents with a final kiss on his temple, lips smacking loudly in the lull that follows.

"Now hush," he says, patting Tanba's cheek, and settling back down against him. "The next episode is one of my favourites."


End file.
